"Hey, Captain!" — Karina burst into the room like a whirlwind, her eyes shining with excitement. "Come outside, I found something interesting!"
I got up from the chair, tossing Auger onto the sofa, and followed her, feeling the faint smell of salt and rust from the pier drift even into this dimly lit room.
"So, what is it?" — I asked, carefully stepping over bottles scattered across the floor.
"Here, here!" — Karina waved toward two huge sacks, too big to even fit in our ship's cabin. "It's… a pile of treasure! Maybe five, maybe ten million. But more importantly: I found a bunch of Log Poses!"
She opened the second sack, and I saw neat instruments, ranging from round to square, with various names. Karina's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm, and her fingers trembled slightly as she sorted through the devices.
"Wow, really…" — I muttered, leaning in to examine the contents. "Let's give them to Sabo and let him figure it out."
"Yeah, help me drag this to the ship, a few more things," she added, pointing to other items.
"Alright." — I smirked and added jokingly: "Karina, now you officially have two jobs on the ship: hacker and treasurer."
Karina let out a loud sigh, but a smile flickered across her face:
"We need more crew. I'm already tired of doing everything myself," she said as I dragged the piano, which, apparently, she also wanted to take aboard the ship. Honestly, in this kind of work, it's best to ask less, or more things will appear that need to be hauled too, I thought, hauling the piano and setting it in the kitchen.
I stepped to the window while her words still echoed in the room and watched the faint candlelight reflecting on the water outside. The waves gently rocked the boat at the pier, and a light breeze carried the scent of the sea and the ship's wood.
"I'm thinking about it," — I said, returning my gaze to Karina, "but I want our crew to be small. Everyone must be a specialist in their field."
"Yeah, it's hard to find people like that…" — she smirked, crossing her arms. "But why did you choose me? I've been thinking about it for a long time. You knew it was a lie, yet you didn't even really know me."
"I just feel it," — I said calmly. "Someone who fits the spirit of our team. And it's not really a lie: I actually know a lot of people from anime and can predict how they act."
Karina nodded slightly, and the smile on her face widened. Her eyes sparkled in the dim lamp light, reflecting the soft starlight filtering through the slightly open window.
"Well then, I want the future king to help me fulfill my dream!" — she exclaimed, pausing as if savoring her future glory.
I sat on the edge of the table, watching as her energy almost tangibly filled the space around her. There was so much determination in her voice that even the slightly tilted lamp seemed to listen attentively.
"I haven't said it yet, but I want to become the richest person on Earth and collect all the treasures in the world!" — she added, waving her hands as if already visualizing maps with endless riches and chests overflowing with gold and jewels.
"A king's team dreams should be grand," — I said, leaning on the piano…
Amidst constantly hauling supplies, we talked more, while the sun slowly rose over the horizon, painting the sea and the island in soft shades of pink and gold. The gentle morning breeze played with the crew's sails and hats, while the sound of waves set the rhythm for all our work.
"I'll go get our drunkards, Sabo!" — I shouted to Karina, watching as the Log Pose finally calibrated. Here, it only took a few hours, which was pretty good, I thought, approaching and looking at the trio coming out of the house: Sabo, Gin, and Auger.
It was immediately clear who had woken whom, — I noted mentally, watching as Sabo stubbornly stayed on his feet, while the two barely moving drunks leaned on each other, balancing like on a tightrope.
"Did you find anything interesting?" — I asked Sabo as he dealt with the battered bounty hunters, slowly moving toward the ship.
"Well, I questioned them," — Sabo began, moving along. "They mostly know about the nearby islands, but one particularly stubborn one tried to prove something about some Eternal Poses. Says they have a bunch, just like Log Poses. In the end, I reached the place, and they're gone… that bastard. If he hadn't run, I'd have beaten him."
I smirked slightly, watching Sabo's reaction, and then remembered Karina. "Hey, Karina, did you find any?" — I asked, trying to hide a laugh. With her thief-like character, it was no surprise that someone had gotten something.
"Oops…" — Karina barely said, when I noticed Gin dragging a huge barrel.
"Alcohol?" — I guessed with a slight grin.
"Alright then," — I sighed, tossing Sabo a new Log Pose, which locked onto the nearest island. "Let's set sail further."
The crew, though slightly sleepy and worn out, slowly moved across the deck, distributing tasks. Or rather, Karina, Sabo, and I did, while Auger and Gin had already collapsed on the deck…